04/23/2026
As a Maine state-licensed medical cannabis caregiver and an advocate who has worked with State regulators since Maines program was originally established, I see this federal move toward Schedule III as a significant acknowledgment of what patients and providers have known for years—that cannabis has real medical value and plays an important role in people’s health and well-being. We have pushed for cannabis to be descheduled for years.
At the same time, this shift raises important questions about how future regulations will be implemented. Maine’s medical program has supported patients safely and effectively for over a decade, with a caregiver model that prioritizes access, affordability, and individualized care. It’s critical that any new federal or state framework builds on that success—not disrupts it with unnecessary barriers or one-size-fits-all rules.
For patients, this could mean expanded research, improved product consistency, and greater confidence in the medicine they rely on. For providers, it offers the potential for more stability and clearer guidelines. But those benefits only matter if patient access remains protected and small caregivers are not pushed aside by overregulation or rising compliance costs.
We also need to acknowledge the history of this industry. Many people were penalized for something now being recognized for its medical value. As policy evolves, fairness and inclusion should remain part of the conversation, including protecting those who helped build these programs from the ground up.
We support reasonable standards around safety, transparency, and consistency. But those standards must be developed with input from patients and caregivers—not imposed in a way that limits choice or restricts care. This is an opportunity to strengthen the medical program, expand access, and move forward responsibly—without losing what has made systems like Maine’s work so well.”
Catherine
In accordance with President Trump’s December 18, 2025, Executive Order on Increasing Medical Ma*****na and Cannabidiol Research, the Justice Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) today announced the issuance of an order immediately placing both FDA-approved products containing ...